


Dead Beat

by LucyWonderLandMadness



Series: Surviving the Dead World [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Angst and Feels, Child Death, Dying Will Flames, Friendship, Gen, Italian Mafia, Leadership, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tsuna is a badass, Tsuna takes control, Yakuza, Zombie Apocalypse, friendship bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-14 09:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8007364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyWonderLandMadness/pseuds/LucyWonderLandMadness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsuna is staring at the Undead; Kyoko is behind him, and no one is doing anything. So he does. (Adopted from wolfsrainrules)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ARC I: Beginning of the END

**Author's Note:**

> Original Author: wolfsrainrules
> 
> I probably won't bring enough justice that wolfsrainrules would if she continued writing this story, but I am giving it a try because I fell in love this idea and the plot just began rolling. I hope you enjoy it as much I did writing the first chapter! Also, I am sorry for any grammar and spelling errors.
> 
> Crossposted on FF.Net as well.

**Intro:**

 

The irony of the situation wouldn't dawn on Tsunayoshi for a while.

He was 'Dame'. No good. The least liked person of the school. The person the downtrodden beat on and made fun of to feel better about themselves because they were bad off, but at least they weren't 'Dame-Tsuna.'

The 'rock bottom' for the rest of the school to compare to.

Any yet…

When the time comes, it is _Tsuna_ who stands at the front, _Tsuna_ who takes a stand and **_commands_** 'no more'. It is 'rock bottom' that refuses to bend, refuses to yield and becomes the wall that stands between the people and the _others._

Tsuna isn't sure how it happened, what caused the outbreak, or why there was next to no warning. All he knows is that when it happens, Kyoko had been behind him and everyone else was screaming and crying and panicking.

No one had been doing _anything_.

Something inside him had snapped when the _infected_ the _undead_ : whatever the hell was _left_ of what used to be people tried to **_eat them_**.

Tsuna had been between the undead and the only person in the entire town who had never called him _no good_ (because as much as he loved and adored his mother, she had called him no good before) the only person besides his mother who had always had a kind smile and a word for him.

No one _else_ had been doing anything to help- so Tsuna had.

He wouldn't find out for years about the seal that had been on him since he was five. He wouldn't find out for years that his _Will_ that his _Resolve_ in that moment had been strong enough to  _shatter_ it like it had never been there as his determination to **_live_** and go home to his mother, his determination to make sure Kyoko lived, his will to _defy death_ was stronger than the resolve of the Sky that had sealed him.

His Flames had surged under that seal and burned _through_ it from the inside until they were free.

It would be a long while before Tsuna would find out that he had learned to 'run before he walked' as it were that day, his Flames plunging him straight into what he would later learn to identify as Hyper Dying Will Mode.

All Tsuna had been aware of at the moment was that the undead were walking, everyone around him was being torn apart and _eaten_ , the streets were lined in blood from those who hadn't been quick enough and Kyoko was behind him. All he had known in that moment was the Will to _live_ and take Kyoko with him.

And so he had.

Flames had come into being and Tsuna had torn through everything in his way with his bare hands and the fire that coated them.

He'd taken Kyoko to his home and found his mother in the kitchen, her apron coated in red and a frying pan gripped in one hand. It had been a relief to see her there and she had rushed to greet him, babbling about the men that had come into the house who had already been dead, but trying to hurt her. She babbled about panicking and hitting them with the pan only for them to get back up until she managed to hit one in the head. She told her son how she had dragged them out of the house.

Tsuna had been calm as he rubbed her back, whispering soothingly into her ear before he had asked her to watch Kyoko for him. His mother had latched onto the normalcy.

Tsuna had gone upstairs and following his instincts had gathered what he thought he might need into bags. One for him, one for his mother and one for Kyoko. When he came back downstairs the two women had been in the kitchen while his mother tried to coax Kyoko into eating some rice balls from the fridge.

Tsuna had been the one to lead them to the school, the one that carved a path through the undead from their home to the school picking up an odd couple of things as his instincts demanded of him.

When he arrived at the school there were a few bodies lining the halls, alongside broken classrooms and blood splatters, but Tsuna has a destination in mind. He _knows_ where he needs to go even if he isn't sure _why_. (Once again- he will later learn to call this the 'Vongola Intuition')

He climbs the stairways, using the bits and pieces he had picked up on his way there (mostly poles and things of that nature) to latch the doors shut behind himself. He plans absently to come back and do a better job of it, but for now, it will slow any undead down which is what he needs.

He eventually makes it to the third story of the school- the top floor not including the roof- and he finds what his instincts had been guiding him to: Hibari and a diminished Disciplinary Committee guarding the terrified remains of the student and teacher body.

" _Here"_ his instincts- his intuition- purrs. _"Here is where we can rest. The girls will be safe- we will be safe."_

The warm feeling that had fueled him pulls back, the Flames on his firsts that no one had mentioned (Tsuna will later find out that only those who can _use_ the Flames or are aware of their own Flames and can feel them even if they can't _use_ them are capable of actually _seeing_ the Flames themselves) disappearing and he sways sharply.

O~O~O~O~O~O~

When he comes too, there's a silver-white haired boy leaning over him with his fists clenched. He recognizes Kyoko's older brother. "Thank you for saving Kyoko and bringing her to me!" the boy screams in Tsuna's face and even though his head hurts and his body feels like it may have been beaten into putty by Hibari, Tsuna smiles at the boy and tells him 'you're welcome.'

O~O~O~O~O~O~

Tsuna isn't aware of the impression he made on the group of students in the school on his way to them. Most of the students had been watching out the windows as the boy they had called 'no good' **_carved_** his way through the undead with his _bare hands_.

The hallways of the school itself had been mostly empty with a few stragglers thanks to Hibari, but _outside_ the school? That had been a whole other story. Hundreds if not thousands of bodies had stood in his way, all of them drawn to the living bodies like flies to honey, and Tsuna had flitted between the chaos of the undead like he was _born_ to fight them, keeping the two noncombatants with him alive and safe as the undead fell to his hands.

The boy they had thought to be a loser, a push over, someone who would always be the 'rock bottom' a boy they classified as _no good_ had just carved his way into the school with a path of chaos and blood and made it _look easy_.

O~O~O~O~O~O~

Hibari had seen the Herbivore fight his way to the herd he and his Committee had been shielding. He had watched as one of the weakest Herbivores he had ever seen had fought like a Carnivore. There had been no hesitation, every strike he had made had been lethal to the undead, and despite the numbers between him and them as well as the women he was protecting, he had refused to waver.

It was faint, but Hibari couldn't help the small whisper that escaped him.

"Wao"

O~O~O~O~O~O~

Tsuna wasn't a leader as far as he was concerned. He was just someone who could do something and so _had_ when everyone else was too scared or horrified to do it themselves. As far as he was concerned he never had been. Had never been someone anyone had thought was _worth_ following.

The undead outbreak had changed that. Everyone else had been too terrified to take the mantle, and his remaining classmates- gathered and kept safe by Hibari and his Committee- had witnessed the barehanded crusade into the school when he arrived. It meant they looked his way in their terror because they had _seen_ that Tsuna could fight the undead and win. (And he wasn't as terrifying as Hibari)

Tsuna had never considered himself to be a leader, and would tell anyone that thought to ask that he wasn't one. He was just a protector. A boy who had the _ability_ to do something and so _had_.

If anyone asked the classmates that had dismissed Tsuna so easily, who had held their foothold in the school for the last six months by his side...who had fought, slept, plotted and planned at his side, who had been _sure_ that 'this was it' this was the moment they were going to be eaten, they were going to die only to open their eyes and see Tsuna's back between them and the undead…

If anyone asked the children Tsuna had gone out personally to collect and bring back to the school…the children who had been so hungry, so cold, and so, _so_ scared with no one to turn to or no idea what do before warm brown eyes had found them and extended a warm callused hand out to them and offered _safety_ …

If anyone asked the adults that Tsuna had gone after beside classmates, the parents of those who had been caught in their homes or in the grocery stores, those that had been caught at work and prayed with _everything_ that they were that their child was still alive…the parents who would later look into the orange-tinted brown eyes of the boy who had protected their children, and them followed them out of their safe-zone to find _them_ and bring them back for their children…

If anyone were to ask _them_ who they considered to be the 'leader' of those who called the school their safe-zone…each of them would answer "Tsuna" with a warm grin and sure eyes.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~ O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

**Chapter One:**

Tsuna stared at the blue sky while he tried to regain his breath. Wincing slightly as he held tightly onto his side, wondering how badly the bruise will become after another beating from his tormentors.

The October wind felt nice against his skin.

"So much for escaping them," He muttered to himself, shifting slightly, trying to figure out if he should go home now or just lay there a couple more minutes. The sun was still out and it was probably a couple more hours before sunset.

It just hurt to move at the moment, however, he didn't want to worry his mother once more again for coming home late and then there was Hibari, the elder teen would soon be prowling around the park and bite anyone to death if they were seen crowding or lingering around late at night.

With a deep breath, Tsuna sat up and allowed the aching to slowly ease away. Biting his bottom lip, he muffles a cry.

_'Why,'_ Tsuna asked himself as he stared down at his clothes now filled with dirt. _'Why am I so useless? Why am I so clumsy, so stupid, so… so dame?'_

He knew that he wasn't the brightest person or very athletic, but that didn't mean he _tried_. Yet he is stuck as Dame-Tsuna. The lowest of the low. The person _no one_ wanted to be. The person  _they_ all ganged up on so _they_ could feel better for themselves, a reminder of how weak and useless he is and they aren't.

"Sawada-kun?" A familiar voice snapped him out of his misery and looked towards the one and the only person that was kind to him. The one person that never spoke ill towards him, reminded him that he was a dame or looked at him with disgust in her eyes.

"K-Kyoko-chan!" he squealed, sitting up slightly straighter, trying to brush the dirt off him even if his efforts didn't rid of all the dirt that clung to his clothes. "W-what are you doing here?" He asked, trying to keep the pain away from his voice. He didn't want her to worry about him, about his bruises and the aching pain he has on his side.

He just wanted to see her smile, reminded him that everything was okay.

"I'm looking for my brother… he promised to be home by now, but he hasn't shown up," The female stated, coming closer to the brunet. "But, what are you doing here?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Tsuna laughed nervously, "I-I was hanging out... yeah, um, your b-brother, what was he doing? If y-you don't mind if I ask,"

"Oh! onii-san usually works out or is out practicing boxing," Kyoko said, carefully crouching down next to Tsuna. The brunet nodded his head, fighting the blush from rising his face.

"Oh… d-do you want help searching for him?" He asked.

The orange haired girl clapped her hands together and stared at him with those warm golden eyes of hers. "Are you sure? I would love the help,"

Tsuna nodded his head a weak smile etched his lips, "Y-yeah, I-I don't mind helping Kyoko-chan," he replied.

"Thank you!" She thanked him, but Tsuna shook his head, "You don't need to thank me," He whispered, as he began getting up from the ground and giving her a hand.

Because he should be thanking her for pulling him out thoughts, for brightening his day and always giving him kindness when the rest of the town just told him he would never be anything, but useless.

Kyoko just stared at him confused as she accepted his hand, wondering what the brunet had just whispered to himself.

"Let's find your brother, okay?"

"Alright," Kyoko agreed, her smiling becoming, even more, brighter, Tsuna just smiled and walked beside the female.

* * *

Namimori wasn't as big as Tokyo, but it was big enough for foreigners or outsiders to get lost without a map or if they had visited with a local.

The city was livelier in the afternoons, were children ran amuck as their parents followed not far behind them. School students hung around the shopping district, looking out the windows and chattered among themselves. Vendors yelling out deals, calling out people to come and buy from their shops.

It was a small town, but it was alive and it was theirs.

Tsuna looked around, observing his surroundings. He tried to avoid the busy afternoons of Namimori when he got out of school. It was where most of his tormentors usually all located themselves.

"I don't see him anywhere," His attention went back to the female next to him. She was looking around the busy streets of Namimori, worried filled those eyes.

"D-don't worry Kyoko-chan!" He almost screamed, stumbling with his words as he tried to reassure her. "W-we'll find him! Don't worry."

Kyoko nodded her head, the reassurance lifted some worry, but not enough and Tsuna didn't know what to do besides walk with the female, looking around trying to shake away the fear that was slowly crawling in the back of his mind, the worry that slowly etched itself onto him.

The sound of sirens brought both pre-teens out of their minds. Watching as the ambulance drives through the street, maneuvering itself around the cars and busy streets.

It should have been a warning.

A sign that something was going to happen because having an ambulance drive through the streets with fast speed meant something happens.

Especially when few more followed behind.

"C-come on Kyoko-chan, let's head towards the school. Y-your brother might be there," Tsuna stated, moving around the curious crowds.

The orange haired girl followed behind him, her eyes curiously taking in the crowds, wondering if everything was alright, but her priority was finding her brother.

"Yeah," She agreed softly, trying to keep up with the brunet who walked in a fast pace, almost ready to run.

Tsuna wasn't the most athletic, but he has practice from trying to escape the bullies that followed him even if he stumbled here and there.

Making their way to the familiar paths towards the school, everything seemed to go back to normal. Peaceful. Quiet.

The chattering between people return and everything is fine.

Even if it's slow in turning back to what it was a few minutes before the ambulance passed by. The loud music playing around the shopping center seemed to slowly drift around the air.

Tsuna couldn't help but tense up.

"Sawada-kun?" Kyoko asked, looking at the brunet beside her. The lanky boy was tensed up as he looked around. He looked uncomfortable, waiting for something that he wasn't sure was to come.

"Y-yeah Kyoko-chan," He asked, his eyes shifting around them.

"Are you okay?" She asked, wondering if something was wrong with her classmate.

Tsuna looked at Kyoko, she could tell the boy was worried. Tsuna opens his mouth to tell her he was fine. Everything was fine when a loud shot rang throughout the air.

_Bang._

_Bang._

_Bang._

The world seemed to stop for that moment.

Guns were prohibited in Japan. They were an illegal item and anyone carrying such weapon was bitten to death by non-other than Hibari.

"W-we should get going," Tsuna said, shuffling backward as he grabbed Kyoko's wrist and pulled her away from the crowds. "P-probably shouldn't be here, j-just in case something bad happens." He manages to say. Trying to swallow his jumbled nerves, trying not to quiver in fear.

Not in front of Kyoko who looked ready to burst out into tears as she continued to stare in the direction where the shots rang out. Fear starting to show her face, if it wasn't for Tsuna slowly pulling her away, she would be paralyzed with fear amongst the crowd.

It was slow. Trying to move around the frozen crowd. Kyoko jumped and let out a small sob when three more shots rang through the air.

People were confused, scared and curious as they stood still. Looking at each other and towards the directions, the shot continued to be shot at.

As Tsuna pulled them into a small alleyway, he could hear a scream pierced the cool air and it broke the stilled moment.

Kyoko and Tsuna watched people slowly backed away, horror dawning onto their faces.

Another scream broke the air with another shot ringing.

People started stumbling backward, pushing themselves against each other. Cries breaking before they turned into screams.

The two pre-teens looked as hell broke loose. Children crying, adults pushing each other away from their path. People getting walked on.

Blood sprayed like rain as it hit the white cement. Bodies falling on top of bodies.

Low animalistic growls were muffled against screams and cries from the people running away.

Tsuna couldn't tear his attention away from the scene. His mind couldn't wrap the situation in front of him. Blood.

Blood everywhere.

The panicking man pushed away the stumbling being that kept coming towards him, the person, _the thing,_ just kept going. Blood dripping down its face, covering his body.

He jumped when the man screamed as the _thing_ snapped its jaws onto the man's shoulder. Blood sprayed as it tore the skin.

The man fell onto the floor, the _thing_ fell down with him, its jaw continuing to chew onto the man's shoulder. More beings fell onto top of the man, tearing its stomach open, pulling out its intestines.

Tsuna was frozen in his spot as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. His brown eyes wide open, he couldn't form any thought as he watched the man get torn open and eaten _alive._

Kyoko muffled screamed managed to wake him up from the shock. Tearing away from the scene he grabbed the girl's wrist and began running down the alley.

Twisting and turning.

Stumbling, catching his steps before he ran into a wall.

Shaking and trying to catch their breath, Tsuna stared at the dead-end with dawning horror, Kyoko was silently crying behind him.

Letting go of the wrist, Tsuna bends down to catch his breath, his stomach churned painfully as he remembered the scene.

Blood everywhere.

The man screaming for help as he stared at Tsuna straight in the eyes, trying to reach out towards him, but those… _things_ just continued to fall on top of him as they tore the man apart with their bare fingers.

"S-Sawada-kun!" Kyoko's screams brought him out of his daze, straightening up, he looked at her before glancing behind them.

They were there. Stumbling towards them at a slow pace.

Pulling Kyoko behind him, letting the wall touch her back as he stood in front of her and those things.

Those things blocking their only exit.

Four things stumbling against each other as they slowly made their way towards them and the images kept popping in front of him. The man being eaten.

They were going to eaten.

They were going to die.

They were going to die alive while those things tear their bodies apart with their hands, their blood splattering the dirty alley and their screams would be drowned out by the loud moans and growls that came from them.

And no one was going to help them. No one was around to help.

"S-Sawada-kun," Kyoko cried, clutching Tsuna's shirt from the behind.

Kyoko's cries brought Tsuna back from his panicking.

He wasn't alone. He couldn't let Kyoko die. He couldn't die without doing _something!_ Not without seeing his mom first. Not without making sure Kyoko gets to a safe zone.

He needed to **live**. Needed to **fight**.

_'I don't want to regret dying without doing anything!'_ Tsuna screamed in his mind, as he tried to stop quivering in fear as he stared as those things edged closer to them.

_"I don't want to die without doing anything first!"_

Something in him snapped into place. The feeling of something missing blossom inside of him, spreading all over his body.

He could sense Kyoko standing behind him, her warmth reminded him of the early sun that broke the winter's cold mist. Defrosting the snow and allowing spring to slowly blossom.

He needed that warmth to remind alive. He couldn't let Kyoko die here. He wanted to live. She needed to live.

The need to _live_ broke the fear.

And with a loud yell, he pushed himself away from Kyoko and charged towards the first undead being and punched him in the face. Being careful not get scratched or bitten.

Orange flames exploded from his fist, bashing the first undead head onto the dirty floor with a loud crunch, twisting around and grabbing the next undead being and pulled onto the floor and twisted its head, hearing a snap from the neck and moved on towards the two undead left.

Tsuna wasn't sure what he was doing, but he followed his instincts. The instincts that told him to smash their heads until they cracked.

Huffing, he stood there for a moment, staring at the undead not rise again, before turning around and grabbing Kyoko and pulled her towards him.

"We have to go," Tsuna stated, staring at Kyoko, the sobbing girl nodded her head. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her as Tsuna maneuver themselves around the dirty alley and out towards the fallen city.

His eyes observed the scene in front of him before he marched forward. Searching for the familiar path that leads to his house. Dodging the undead if they could.

* * *

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the front door wide open.

Something in him screamed to go inside. The fear of his mom laying on the floor with her stomach tore open made him want to cry. To scream.

The squeezing of his hand brought him back from his wandering thoughts. Rushing inside, he stared at the floor, blood being dragged inside.

Muffled cries snapped his attention towards the kitchen. Letting go of Kyoko's hand, he quickly ran towards the kitchen. There his mother stood with frying pan in her hands. Shaking with tears flowing down her face as the horror. Her white apron splattered with blood.

Tsuna must have made a noise of relief because his mom looked up from the bloodied floor and stared at him with confusion before rushing towards him. The pan dropped onto the floor as she held onto him tightly.

His arms wrapped around her small body.

"Tsu-kun!" She cried out, holding him tightly. "Oh you're okay, you're alright!" She sobbed.

"I'm here mom," He whispered, trying to comfort her. Her warmth pressed against him. The familiar warmth he knows since he was small, the warmth he grew up, that comforted him was still alive. Still breathing.

She was alright.

"Oh these men came out of nowhere Tsu-kun, they were trying to grab me and I got scared. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the pan and warned them to go away, but they didn't listen!" In hysterics, his mother babbled, explaining to him how the undead tried to attack her, but she hit them with her frying pan because she got scared and she didn't want them near her.

"I couldn't leave them here! Not inside here, so I had to drag them outside and blood was everywhere and then it got all over me while I dragged them outside!"

"It's okay mom," He said softly, "You're okay now, just breath. I am here now," He explained, rubbing her back. His mother nodded her head, wipes the tears away from her face.

"Mom, this is Kyoko-chan, stay here with her while I go grab something, okay?" He asked his mother. Nana nodded her head, smiling softly at her son.

"I got it Tsu-kun, you go do what you need to do," She ushered him, turning to look at Kyoko who was staring at his mother with wide eyes. "Come now Kyoko-chan," She said softly, motioning for the orange haired girl to come closer towards her.

Tsuna bolted up the stairs into the small closet and took out three backpacks that laid on the bottom.

Pulling out the two sleeping bags, he rushed to the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit and stuffing it into one of the bags. Pulled his mother's small bag she kept in the bathroom and stuffed it as well inside the bag.

Anything that looked useful in case of an injury or sickness.

Leaving the bathroom, he went into his room, pulled out some clean clothes, some underwear anything that could be useful for him and stuffed it into the backpack before running towards his mother's room and doing the same thing.

He stopped when he notices the folded picture neatly placed on top of the drawer. Without a thought, he grabbed the photo and placed it neatly inside the bag and continued outside and looked for anything else before he moved back downstairs.

His mother was with Kyoko in the kitchen, coaxing the younger girl into eating something even if it was a rice ball.

"I have everything we need, let's go." He said, placing the bags on top of the table and looked around, trying to make sure everything was there. The feeling inside him coaxed him, guiding him to what he needed and what wasn't.

"Where are we going to go Tsu-kun?" His mother asked him, grabbing one of the bags from the table.

"The only place that can be safe," Tsuna answered, unsure where that was but he _knew_ there was a place that was safe. That can protect them.

* * *

As Tsuna guided them towards wherever his instincts screamed for him to follow, he picked up anything that he felt was needed. That his instincts reassured him was needed, even if it wasn't needed at the moment.

As the path he took them had become much clearer to where they would be heading, the path towards it wasn't a pretty one. Dodging the undead, ignoring the bloody body parts that no longer were attached to their person.

The arrival of the school reminded him of a haunted horror house, except the horror, was outside and the hunting where the undead that was trying to eat them.

"Come on, let's go," He mutter towards his mother and Kyoko.

Stepping around the broken glass, ignoring the dead bodies that lined up the walls that lead into the classroom, blood splattered against the white walls, but he continues on.

Ignoring the familiar faces that laid dead, he pushes towards the destination his instincts screamed for him to go. The place where he knows he needs to go, but he wasn't sure why.

Why there? From out of all the places, why did it have to be there?

But he pushed onwards. Climbed the stairs, using the pieces he had gathered and latched the doors together.

Eventually making it on the third floor. Leading him to the one and the only person that can protect them. That can protect everyone with all he can.

Hibari and the Disciplinary Committee.

Just take a look at Hibari and what was left of his committee, guarding what was left of the student and teacher body.

_"Here,"_ something inside him acknowledge the place, something inside him settled, _"Here was safe, where is it is safe. Where they will be safe. Where we will be safe."_ It purred in content.

The instincts that kept him moving approved.

The warmth that had spread throughout his body, that kept him moving, slowly disappeared, but it was still there, waiting to be brought out when needed.

He caught Hibari's eyes before he began swaying and everything went black.

* * *

When he comes too, he first notices someone near him. The familiar white-haired teen was leaning over him with his fist clenched.

_'Kyoko-chan's brother,' is_ his first thoughts as he blinks away the drowsiness, _'He's okay, he's here.'_

"Thank you for saving Kyoko and bringing her to me!" The boy yelled in Tsuna's face. Even though his head was pounding and felt like mush and everything feels like Hibari went on a rampage on his body.

Tsuna smiles towards the elder teen, "You're welcome."

* * *

What started like a normal day in October, with Tsuna running away from his bullies, to having been able to talk to Kyoko and tried helping her find her brother. With all the events that happen, Tsuna could still remember that man.

Remember his pleads for help as he stretched his hand towards him. He could remember the look that Kyoko looked at him as she clutched his back while they faced the undead. Where they were so close to dying.

But something in him wanted to live and he wanted to protect Kyoko, his mother. The very few people he cared for and wanted them safe. Something in him burst into flames and made him feel alive. His will to survive and protect kept him moving.

As he watched the night sky outside the rooftop, taking a deep breath, he kept chanting to himself.

_'I need to live. I need to protect them. I need to survive.'_

In his twelve years of living, Tsuna felt himself finally complete. The missing part of him was now alive inside him. That part that had made him not care as he lived his life being useless.

And it only took the world to end for him to do something.

"Happy birthday to me," He whispered to himself as he watched the stragglers move around the school campus. The night deathly silent as the moon shined down on them.

Happy thirteen birthday to himself indeed.

* * *

 


	2. ARC I: Beginning of the END

**October 14; 05:20 PM**

In life, there is a time where you have to make a difficult choice and at the moment, Tsuna stands staring at the man that kept hacking away, even when he was surrounded.

Blood dripping down his hand and onto the sword he held loosely.

As he hacked the last undead to the floor, they could hear more shuffling upwards the stairs and headed towards their way.

“Go,” Sosuke said, his breath was coming out heavily and he was leaning against the wall. “Leave now, I’ll take care of them as much as I can. I’ll bring their attention towards me and that way, you will have a much clear ground while you run with the children.”

“Y-You can’t do this!” Tsuna screamed. It was a crazy idea. His classmate would probably never forgive him, no, he won’t forgive him, he would most likely try to kill him for leaving his father to the undead.

“Listen gaki, I know how this goes, you know how this goes,” The man stated, his sharp eyes stared into Tsuna’s amber ones. “I won’t have much time, but you do. Get away with the kids, go to the school and take care of them. Teach them how to survive this dead world because as much as you hate it, your generation and the newer ones to come, are the ones that will probably survive this shitty world.”

Tsuna shook his head, “But WE need people like YOU to teach us!” Tsuna almost screamed. Holding onto the crying child in his arms. “I-I just can’t let you just die!”

“Listen Sawada!” The man barked, his gaze turning sharper and Tsuna swore he saw something pass through the man’s eyes, but he wasn’t sure, _but_ he saw that a blue flicker pass through the man’s eyes, “You can’t save everyone even when you want to. Protect those you can and **_live_ ** for those that died. That is all you can do in this world. Remember, Honda also asked for you to take care of Yuichi,”

Tsuna only swallowed the heavy lump in his throat, but nodded his head. Something in him knew that the man had made his resolve. His will to make sure that he escaped with the children and return to the safe-zone was strong and he knew, deep down, he knew and his instincts accepted it, that this man’s resolve was unbreakable.

Even if it meant dying.

“Thank you and I promise you, **_I will protect everyone I save,”_** With a small bow to the man, he followed the lingering teenager out the window and left the injured man with to deal with the undead.

 

_-_

 

**October 14; 04:10 AM**

Tsuna sighs, stared at his hands before wiping them dry on his cargo pants, and then turning around to stare at the bloodied wall. It was early in the morning; nobody was up except for two prefects, well that’s what he thinks. He hasn’t heard or seen anyone since he hid in the bathroom.

His mother had curled up with Kyoko and Hana after they all secured a small corner in one of the empty classrooms along with some students. Ryohei was guarding them, told Kyoko he would be right there if she needed him and he thanked the elder boy for that. He couldn’t stay seated after he made sure his mother was okay, made sure she fell asleep without a problem. He had walked around the third floor, mindlessly making his way to the stairwell, securing the door with the two steel beams he had found and just stared at the door before he wandered off again and made it to the bathroom.

Tsuna groan as he rubbed his face, he was tired, but his nerves weren’t making it easy for him to fall asleep.

And he had so many questions at the moment, but he didn’t know which ones to ask first and which ones seemed to be plain crazy to even wonder who would answer them. However, the more he repeated the scenes in his mind, the more he wondered about the orange flames that exploded from his fist.

How the warmth covered his hand without burning him, how something inside him just felt in place, that reassured him to follow his instincts. The small whispering in the back of his mind that told him what to do, that made sure that Kyoko and his mother were brought to a secure place, that was safe for them. That warm feeling still lingered inside him, the soft thrumming sang softly, purring like a sleeping cat, waiting.

However, he still felt like there was something missing. That he wasn’t fully complete, even though he felt like himself, feel better than he had ever felt in the past years.

The very soul of himself was still missing, like puzzle pieces haven’t been put in place yet and the picture wasn’t complete. Pieces where still missing and that was the mystery, Tsuna didn’t know how to complete that puzzle, he didn’t know what was pieces he was missing and how the picture is supposed to look like.

Humming, Tsuna continued to stare at the wall, before glancing outside the small window and stared at the dark sky. The moon’s light no longer shined brightly, the stars had disappeared behind the heavy looking clouds… clouds.

Blinking, Tsuna stood up straight and stare at the heavy black clouds hanging in the air. They didn’t look normal. He knew that the rain season was over and fall barely started, there shouldn’t be any heavy rain clouds in the sky and that made him uneasy.

And it clicked, with wide eyes, Tsuna ran out of the bathroom and towards a bigger window in the hallway. There Hibari and the two perfect stood, staring out the window with frowns on their face. Looking out as well, he could see the red hot blazing fire burning down a tall skyscraper from the city. It was one of the few skyscrapers that Namimori has built and watched the tall building slowly burn down to the ground. It didn’t sit well with Tsuna and by the looks on Hibari’s face, the perfect was livid by whoever was causing more chaos in his city then what there was already.

“We need to finish securing the school before those herbivores decide to march this way,” Hibari stated, the two other teens nodded their heads and saluted Hibari before they made their way towards the blocked doors.

Tsuna watched them go, before glancing out the window again. He knew that the school was safe at the moment, however, even with all the protection the prefect gave them. He knew deep down, there were other people that probably are stronger than the teenager in front of him. Swallowing down his bile, he clenched his fist and stare outside. They no longer had a government or police or hospital running. Adults and children have scattered around, either alive, dead or undead. Survivors had not only need to protect themselves from the undead, Tsuna knew and he hated to admit to himself, but they also have to protect themselves from other living beings.

Tsuna knew that Namimori was filled with delinquents and yakuza than any regular small city. He can believe that bigger cities like Tokyo, have big problems with gangs, however, Tsuna wished his gut would stop ringing as he admitted to himself. Namimori wasn’t any regular small time city. Especially when the city had a fifteen-year-old boy ruling the city with an iron fist and the police officers didn’t do anything about it or even bother in trying to stop said fifteen-year-old boy from beating any offenders to the brink of death.

“…You, herbivore, follow me,” The steel voice of Hibari brought Tsuna attention back to the black hair boy. Letting out a small noise, he followed the moving perfect back the lit office.

The sofa was moved against the wall, a table was placed in the middle of the room, papers scattered around and a tall boy was staring down at them. A pencil in his hand as he traced whatever the paper showed him. Two other boys in the back where working on a radio, trying to find a station that wasn’t just filled with static. Shuffling inside the room, he stood awkward as he watched Hibari marched towards the male that was on the table.

“Kusakabe,” Hibari stated, standing next to the boy, the other male nodded his head in greeting and pushed the paper towards the perfect.

“I found a few of the school blueprints,” The boy, Kusakabe, stated, looking at Hibari for further instruction. Hibari nodded his head and looked at the blueprints.

“I have a mission for you and… Sawada,” Hibari stated, not looking up from the papers. Tsuna jumped when his name was spoken and hurried to the two boys.

“Kyouya-san?” Tsuna understood the questioning tone the elder boy asked as he glanced at him before looking at Hibari. He would too if he was put with someone that is known as a dame.

“Hibari-Senpai?” Tsuna asked hesitantly unsure why the perfect would want his help when there were probably other students in the classroom who be more fit for whatever job the perfect would be giving them.

“Most of the members will be here with me trying to clear the school out and keep an eye on the herbivores that are currently under our protection,” The prefect began, placing the papers on the table and looked at them both. His silver eyes stared at them, something was hidden behind those eyes and Tsuna wasn’t sure what to make out of it, but nodded his head to assure the teen in front of him that he was listening.

“I want you two to scout the city, find any survivors, bring anything that can help us secure the school, food, water, whatever is needed to survive,” Hibari stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

Tsuna open his mouth to protest, however, the words died in his mouth as he looked at the prefect. He understood what he was asking for. Understood that even when Hibari himself wanted to go and do it himself, to look for any other people that survived, to try in restore Namimori back into its peaceful place, he couldn’t. Hibari was protective of what was his and he made Namimori his to protect. And with Namimori came its people and above all, Hibari was already pissed off that the undead already took over his city and with the skyscraper set on fire, he knew the teen didn’t have any control to stop that, it only made the teen even furious.

With the only thing that the teen could still protect, Hibari wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon till the prefect was one-hundred percent sure that the school is secure and no undead or living being can enter the school without his say-so.

“Why me?” Tsuna finally asks in a soft uneasy tone as he watched the teen look like he had approved of his question instead cry about how he couldn’t do what the perfect wanted him to do.

“Sawada, you brought not only your mother, but as well another student of the school to safety. You protected them till you reached the room that you knew would be secure, didn’t let any undead reach them as you lead them to the school grounds,” Hibari stated with calculating eyes, “You bashed the undead heads with ease and didn’t flinch when they came hurling towards you. As herbivore, I don’t need that, as a carnivore that you can be, is what I need from you.”

Nodding his head, he listens to every word the prefect said. What Hibari needed was help in protecting and keeping the school safe, what Hibari saw while he brought his mother and Kyoko-chan to the school for safety. That is what the prefect wanted. What he needed to do to help the perfect.

Licking his lips, he nodded, “I understand, Hibari-senpai,” the brunet stated, standing up a bit straighter, he stopped shaking and his eyes slowly bleed into a soft orange glow.

Hibari let out a small smirk and nodded, “I want you to talk to Kusakabe, go over your plans and tell me to know what they are before you leave, pack lite so you are able to move quick and are able to come back before sunsets. I do not want anybody outside the school grounds in the dark.”

With a nod of his head, Hibari pivoted and went to talk to the two males that were working on the radio. Letting out a shaky sigh, Tsuna turned to look at the older teen, unsure how to feel about him. He knew that Kusakabe was close to Hibari, knew that the older teen was second-in-command of the Disciplinary Committee and that Hibari trusts Kusakabe to some degree.

“Shall we begin planning?” The elder teen asked motion for Tsuna to follow him to the table as the teen took out a much larger map.

Walking to stand to his side, he looked at the map and notice that map was overused, however, it was easy to see why it was used. A handmade map of Namimori, details of how many buildings were in closer to the city and how many houses located outside the city. Color-coded and keyed.

“Hibari has made this throughout the years, has edited several times,” Kusakabe explain, a proud look crossed his face before he motioned for Tsuna to come closer. The brunet did and looked at the neat hand writing as he read the key.

“We should head here,” Tsuna said without a thought, the red building that was keyed as police station just thrummed something inside him. Not too far from the station was a small dojo. Without blinking, he looked through the marked paths and traced around. His face scrunched up in thoughts, unsure which path was better.

“Blue path will lead us there faster,” Kusakabe stated, pointed to a blue mark and traced it towards the police station. Tsuna nodded his head and followed that line.

“Okay, well check the area thoroughly and slowly go upwards and then turn. If we do find people, we immediately come back to the school,” Tsuna said, looking at the map and traced a green line that touched the city, but was much closer to the houses. “If we will be doing scavenging, we will go in groups of three… it would be better than a big crowd.” Tsuna continued talking.

Kusakabe stared at the smaller teen, curiously wondered how the brunet shed the weak and scared personality and slipped to something that resemble a leader. Something that resembled Hibari when he was giving them orders, but a whole different personality to it. The brunet is a softer and gave off order much kinder, almost like a request, but it wasn’t. Hibari is a person that demanded to be respected and have his rules follows. He wondered if his leader saw this. He knew that Kyouya was impressed with the brunet fighting off the undead while he protected the two women, didn’t flinched as he drove a punch, hit them hard with a pole, splashing blood on him. Those eyes, he was able to catch, showed so much resolve – it sent chills down his spine as he watch the small boy tear down the dead and marched forward without any regret.

He knew people would have trouble killing off the undead because the undead were people they knew. The undead had the same faces they interacted on a daily basis. With a moment of hesitation, those undead people that looked like your loved one, can kill you, tear you apart in mere seconds.

And Sawada Tsunayoshi didn’t flinch when he smashed open a fellow student’s head as he marched onto the school grounds with one goal in his mind. Protect his mother and the female student.

“-And walkie-talkies might be useful, but, how long do you think the electricity will work?” Tsuna asked, bringing the older teen to come out of his thought and actually follow the conversation the small brunet was saying. He looked thoughtful, it was a really good question. How long will the electricity last?

“I am not quite sure, I do know that the power plant will work for at least two weeks, probably three. Then the generator will most likely kick in,” He said, scratching his head. Really unsure for how long they would have electricity in the school. “And even then, I am not sure how long we will have the generator will last, so will probably have electricity until November.”

 Tsuna nodded his head and tapped his chin, “We will have to figure out that problem, but we can wait till we discuss that with Hibari-senpai, if not we will have a very cold winter,” Tsuna stated, sighing in frustration.

“When the time comes, we will talk about it, but at the moment, we must start gathering supplies and look for survivors,” Kusakabe stated.

“Okay, I think we have most of it planned out,” Tsuna stated, looking at the location they looked at mostly.

“I’ll go tell Hibari, you go grab your bag and I’ll meet you at the sealed doorway in fifteen minutes,” Kusakabe stated, folding the map and began making his way towards a frowning Hibari and the two other perfect that explain whatever they found to him.

Taking a deep breath, he went to towards the classroom his mother and the girls went to sleep in. Ryohei was snoozing and Hana was sitting up, her eyes looking at her friend. The sharp-tongue girl looked exhausted and scared.

“Hello Kurokawa-san,” Tsuna greeted the girl softly and with caution. Wanted to make sure she saw him before he went any closer to her. With a slight jump, and narrowed brown eyes looked at his direction, she calmed down once she met his brown ones and nodded her greeting.

“Sawada,” She greeted him, staring at him with a fixed look before she looked back to a shifting Kyoko. The girl was sleeping deep, snuggling against his mother’s warmth. His mother had her arms wrapped around tightly, sleeping peacefully as well.

“Thank you,” Kurokawa said out of the blue, making him tear his attention away from the sleeping females and towards the brunette. “Her brother already thanked you, but I haven’t. So thank you for bringing her to safety,” she whispered, a soft vulnerable look crossed her face and Tsuna looked away from her. Unsure how to respond to the girl that always showed a cold and tough front to everybody.

 Tsuna shifted and nodded his head, “There really isn’t a need to thank me, if she was in that position or anybody really, I would do anything to keep them safe,” He whispered back, however, he wasn’t sure when he said those words. Nibbling his bottom lip and shifted to get the bag he had brought with him. Taking the stuff out and placing them inside another bag, he could feel Kurokawa’s curious gaze on him.

“Kurokawa-san, can you and Sasagawa-san do me a big favor?” He asked hesitantly. He didn’t know who to ask and he knew Hibari wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on his ditzy mother all the time. So his best choices laid in front of him. His mother, after all, has gotten attached to the orange hair girl.

“A favor? Sawada, what do you plan on doing?” Kurokawa almost hissed, her eyes narrowed instantly and any curiosity was gone.

Taking a deep, he turned to look at her straight in the eyes. “Hibari asked for me to help him and I will,” He began, willing himself not to flinch at the cold and hard stare the female was giving him. “He needs my help and I know and I understand all the consequences for anything I will be doing in the future and how much my mom will most likely hate the idea, but it has to be done and Hibari seems to trust me or something,” He explain, trying to cut his rambling but it was useless. He was afraid.

Afraid to step out of the safety of the school and out there in the open where _they_ were out there, waiting for them to hesitate, to make a small mistake, so they can grab them, drag them to the floor and tear them open. Waiting for them just so they quenched their hunger that seemed to not end.

He was very afraid of being that person, but he knew he was needed. He knew that his mother wouldn’t be the same if he died because she didn’t have her husband with her anymore. His father after all died when he was younger and that just left him to take care of her. Even if he hasn’t done that in the past years.

“Sawada just get to the point, you are rambling,” Kurokawa stated, looking a bit pale, but that hard look never left her face.

“Right,” He said, nodding his head, he felt he was doing that lately. Nodding his head when he couldn’t use his words to explain his frustration, his concerns, his thoughts out loud, to tell them he understood, but they just got stuck in his throat and nodded his head. Licking his lips, he continued his sloppy explanation. “Kusakabe and I will be heading out to the streets to look for any survivors and anything that we are able to bring back to help us secure the school.”

Kurokawa stared at him before her eyebrow furrowed and her lips pursed tightly and sudden movement, something hit him upside the head. Blinking, he looked at her in confusion. “You are an idiot; what do you think you can do out there?” She hissed, trying to keep quiet.

Swallowing, he just let her talk, he knew she was scared, her whole entire expression screamed how scared she was. “Survivors? There is more undead than living breathing beings? Why can’t Hibari go himself? Why is he asking you? Or is he threatening you? If he is, I’ll go give him a piece of my mind,”

Shaking his head, he smiled softly at her which caught her off guard, “No Kurokawa-san, he isn’t threatening me, he asked me to help and I will. I know I can do something and I will. I can’t simple sit in here and not do nothing while everybody around me is trying to survive.” He explains to her softly, trying to calm her down and it seemed to work. “I know you still see me as a dame, but I know I can do something. And I want to help, so I will and the reason I want you to do me a favor is because I feel I can trust you and Sasagawa-san as well.”

The female nodded her head, feeling stunned.

“Can you look out for my mom? I know she isn’t the most self-aware person and she is a very ditzy person, but she is the only family I have and I don’t want to leave her alone,” He explain to her.

She stared at him in silence for a couple of minutes and she sighed, “Of course I will,” She answered him honestly, looking at him like he was the biggest idiot for thinking she was going to let the woman alone. The elder woman has attached herself to Kyoko and didn’t seem to look like she was going to let her go anytime soon and how she looked so shaken when they entered the perfect’s office, Hana knew that Sawada-san was barely hanging in there. She was a stay-a-home wife and mother, she wasn’t someone who would be able to survive this new world without help and the boy in front of her, she saw him shed the clumsiness, the scared look he always has, and tore through the crowd of undead while he protected her best-friend and his mother. She knew, this boy in front of her is going to survive this world.

And Hana wanted to stand beside the person he seemed to slowly be shaping himself up because he was the type of person that will fight to protect those he cared. Not for his own, but for others.

“Thank you Kurokawa-san,” He thanked her and Hana nodded her head.

“Please call me Hana, Sawada,” She stated, rubbing her neck and looked away and back towards the sleeping females.

“Then call me Tsuna,” Tsuna said, standing up quietly, “I will be back before the sunset or we will try to be back,” Tsuna stated.

“You better be,” Hana said, with a frown on her face.

Tsuna smiled softly at the sleeping forms of the female, “I promise,” he stated before he waved her goodbye and left the classroom. She could tell he met up with a taller boy who seemed to always be beside the demon perfect.

Sighing, she shifts herself to a comfortable position and looked outside the window, the sun wasn’t even out and she knew it would be a while. Opening her phone, she looked at the time before deciding to call her parents again. Hoping they would answer this time.

**October 14; 05:00 AM**

The early morning of October was cool, but not enough to start wearing heavy jackets outside. The sun still wasn’t out and the lamp-post was the only thing lighting their way through the bloodied streets.

Stepping around dead bodies and broken glass, Tsuna was weary as he looked around as they walked through the planned path. Everything was quiet, the uneasiness of the silence made him worry. Gripping tightly on straps of his back bag, he continued to follow Kusakabe who seemed familiar with the path.

They walked without saying anything because they didn’t know what attracted the undead, they didn’t know if it was noise, or if it was the smell of living beings. That was something they could test out in a safe environment., Tsuna mused, trying to keep an eye on the darker unlit paths as they passed by. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he wondered how long it would take before the undead found them about and wondering around early in the morning.

Kusakabe stopped and held his hand out, Tsuna stopped behind him and shift around, keeping an eye on them while the older teen looked around the corner of the street, before motioning to continue. They repeated the same actions as they continued down to the path, looking out around the corners and making sure nothing or no one was hiding. As they got closer and closer to the station, the air became heavy with burnt flesh, ashes were falling from the sky, looking like snowflakes. Brining his shirt upwards to cover his nose and mouth, Kusakabe did them thing as the air was becoming heavy with after effect of the burning tower.

As they continued, something screamed for Tsuna to stop, to turn around. Grabbing Kusakabe with his free hand, he stopped and looked around. His screaming instinct got louder and louder by the minute. The question look the elder teen was giving him didn’t help. Looking around the area, he noticed a small shop, he pulled the teen with him and towards the shop.

Looking through the small holes the shutter allowed, he didn’t sense anything before he checked to see if the door was unlocked, but no luck. Frowning, he turned around and he could see a crowd coming out of the heavy smoke, he tried not to panic, because there was nowhere else to hide. Kusakabe notices his distress and looked at the direction were Tsuna was looking. He pulled the brunet’s attention away from the crowd and motion for him to keep an eye out while he kneels down the door and started picking the lock.

Tsuna stood right in behind of the kneeling teen, giving him space to work on the door, he clenched his hands into a fist, his eyebrow furrowed, as he tried not to panic and breath too much smoke. He couldn’t start panicking even if his instincts screamed right there to hide because he knew they couldn’t take care of that crowd of undead without having problems.

He watched the crowd slowly shuffle around and he notices it wasn’t just a small crowd, it was a big herd of undead heading towards their way.

“Got it,” A whisper drew Tsuna gaze from the herd and towards Kusakabe as he opened the door and headed inside, Tsuna followed the teen and closed the door and looked at Kusakabe, “We need to barricade the door quickly!” Tsuna almost screamed. Both teens looked around and started pushing a heavy wardrobe towards the door, only leaving enough space for them to be able to put their hands and pulled the furniture away so they could leave when the street was deemed safe enough to go outside. The window was deemed safe enough, but for precaution, they added a few smaller cabinets in front of the protected window.

Once they deemed the front secured, Tsuna looked around the old shop. It was an antique store, nothing seemed to be touched, Kusakabe looked around his bag before he brought out a flash light. Lighting the place up, the store seemed to be devoid of any person and old dust was settling on the surface of the counter.

“Must have been closed for a while,” Kusakabe stated as he walked around the stop. Tsuna hummed and looked around, his eyes settled in some old oil lamps. “Do you have a lighter or a match?” He asked the teen, pulling the lamp and checking to see if everything was okay before he could even light it up.

Kusakabe made his way with a lighter and handed to the brunet, Tsuna accepted and carefully lite the lamp on and placed the glass back on the lamp, “Thank you,” he muttered and looked at the lamp before looking to see if there was any more of them. They would be a great help once the electricity went out.

As he and Kusakabe looked around the small shop, he noted the eerie feeling it gave off, but nothing screamed danger. Loud thumping, moans and groans could finally be heard outside the shop. Staring at the door, Tsuna shifted himself closer to the teen before he turned around and checked around to see if there was any other door way that needed to be secured as well.

After a couple of minutes, Tsuna shrugged his bac bag off and sat on an old armchair as he watched Kusakabe talk on his cell phone with Hibari. It seemed the phone lines still worked, but for how long?

“Well, it’s seems we will be here for a while,” the older teen said, sighing as he sat across him. Tsuna nodded his head, “We might as well rest for a bit,” Kusakabe continued, staring at Tsuna before shrugging off his gakuran and settled his feet on top of the table.

“When do you think the phone lines will stop?” Tsuna asked out of the blue. Kusakabe shrugged his shoulders before he answered, “Eventually, probably next day or two. I am not quite sure, but with no one to look after them, they won’t last long,” the teen stated. Tsuna hummed and made himself comfortable, pulling on the sleeves of his favorite hoody, he stared at the oil lamp sitting innocently on the table. He watched the fire flicker around and watched the shadows danced around the walls before he felt his eyes become heavy. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let out and allowed himself to doze off for a couple of minutes.

_-_

_Tsuna opened his eyes and looked around him. He was standing in the middle of the city around the late afternoon. No one was around him, the streets were devoid of people and undead. The ground was cover in blood, human body parts and shattered glass. The loud noise of a car alarm was ringing in the background._

_Swallowing, Tsuna walked around, his heart beating hard against his chest, feeling uneasy at every step he took forward. He jumped when he heard cries, looking around he knew those cries. He heard them over and over when he was small, when his mother would think he was asleep and would cry herself to sleep. Cry because she missed her poor excuse of a husband. The man that was his father, who left for month on end and never bothered to call at least to check in on them._

_“Tsu-kun, why did you go?” the soft whimpers of his mother echoed in the dark. He ran towards the direction he heard her cry._

_“Mom, where are you?” He screamed, he was becoming desperate._

_“Tsu-kun, why did you go?” She repeated, sounding farther and farther away from him._

_“Mom, please tell me where you are at! I am not going anywhere,” He screamed out towards her. Stopped as he searched around the empty streets._

_“I’m right behind you Tsu-kun,” She whispered._

_Twisting around, he looked at his mother. There she stood in her pink dress, blood splatter all over it. Her arms dangled on her side, he head was tilted to the side, her brown her was covered in red blood and dirt and all over the place. Her skin as pasty white, but her neck, right there on her neck, blood was squirting out. A chuck of her neck was missing._

_She opens her mouth and something fell onto the floor, blood dripped down her lips. The warm chocolate eyes of hers were now cloudy as she stared at him._

_“Tsu-kun,” the warmth of her voice was slowly slipping away as she shuffled closer to him, “Why did you leave, Tsu-kun,” Her arm begins lifting upwards, trying to grab him, but he stepped backward._

_“No,” He whispers, trying to get away from her, but she continues to shuffle towards him and he can’t tear his eyes away from her. He lets out a small cry as he continues backing away from her and watches her continued shuffling towards him until he bumps into something._

_Slowly turning his head, he sees orange hair filled with dirt and blood, terror filled his stomach as the head lifted upwards, Kyoko’s kind eyes were cloudy, her skin was pasty pale, and her jaw was missing. Kyoko let out a small moan as she grabbed him by the shoulders. Tsuna was in shock to move. He then turns around as he felt a hand on his arm, his mother was so close._

_He realized, he was stuck in between his mother and Kyoko as both female held onto him tightly, their fingers digging into his skin. Their cold touch burn under his skin and everything went slow._

_“Tsu-kun,” his mother’s voice whisper again, “Why did you leave me? Why did you leave like your father did?”_

_-_

Tsuna jumped awake as he looked around and see that he was safe. He was not standing in between his undead mother and undead Kyoko. Gasping for air, he tried to calm himself down, calm his racing heart. He was safe.

Safe. No danger was nearby.

No undead, his mother was safe at the school, along with Kyoko. They were with Hana and Kyoko-chan’s brother. They were under the protection of the school, were Hibari was making sure there weren’t any more undead lingering around. Making sure the gates could be closed and be able to stand against the zombies crowding in front of them.

Tsuna groan as he leaned back against the chair and let out a heavy sigh, he rubbed his face. The oil lamp was turned off and the sun was slowly filtering through the shutters and inside the small shop. Kusakabe was sleeping across from him. His face was peaceful, however, a pole was held loosely in his hand.

Shifting his attention from the dozing teenager, he turns to look where the window, deciding it was best to check how the situation was before he woke up Kusakabe. The street looked trashed, even more, bodies littered around the streets. A couple of undead lingered the streets, but nothing they could handle.

He heard a loud yawn and turned around to see that Kusakabe woke up, his hand running through the famous pompadour had finally fell out of place, leaving the elder teen with sticky long hair falling in front of his face. Said teen was muttering curses under his breath as pushed it backwards, succeeding poorly.

“The streets are almost empty, few undead linger around, but nothing we can handle,” Tsuna stated, walking over the teenager and sitting back on the sofa he had fallen asleep.

Kusakabe hummed, pulling out a smaller paper and moved the oil lamp and placed it on the table. “Well, we might as well figure out what is around the area before we move on,” the teen stated, unfolding a small map that looked almost like the bigger map he was shown at the school, but the map was a local map. So it wasn’t handmade.

Humming, Tsuna looked at the map as he followed Kusakabe’s finger tracing around the streets and reading out store names that might be useful, but weren’t quite sure if they should take a look.

However, something kept him looking at a store, but he wasn’t sure if he should say anything. The name seemed familiar, but it gave an eerie feeling. He decided to ignore it and continued to listen to Kusakabe.

“…- We can probably find good supplies here, but we might need to figure out a way to bring everything from there and back to the school,” The teen stated.

Tsuna pursed his lips before he let out a thought he kept wondering for a while now, “Can’t you hotwire a car?” It was a simple question and a thought that didn’t seem rude, but it did come out rude and Tsuna blushed heavily as his brain process how rude the question had come out.

“I-I mean, not you!! Well i-if you know that is!” Tsuna yelled, waving his arms around, trying to figure out what to say, but it was coming out in rambling instead. “I-it just seems to be much easier if we can find a car! It’ll help more to care heavy stuff and easy to move around, but then again I don’t know how to drive, do you know how to drive? You probably do, but if you don’t then maybe we can figure that out and – and then there is the problem, we don’t know how the undead are attracted? I was thinking maybe we can figure that out, but do you think it would be dangerous? You know, with us two about? Then there is also that they seem to be gathering in big herds and that can get complicated and a very deathly situation.”

By the time Tsuna realized he was rambling really badly, he shut his mouth and looked away, his face bright red as he tried to figure out what he had said which didn’t make any sense to him. How was it going to make sense the somebody else?

Kusakabe had raised an eyebrow towards the small brunet, but nodded his head. As more time passed by, Kusakabe started to notice little quirks the brunet showed. He could be very observant, his instinct (he thought that what was leading and warning the teen in front of him away from danger) were rough around the edges, but he moved quickly and silently. The teen is the right person to go out about in the city filled with undead and unknown, however, Sawada could be much more than that if he tried, but it seemed right now he was doing what he could do even if it was looking for material and other unprotected survivors. “The committee all know how to hotwire a car and drive one, remember Sawada, we used to be all delinquents,” He mused as he watched the brunet laugh nervously and shift in his seat. “But, I understand what you are trying to say and I did play with the idea, however, as you stated, we do not know what attracts the attentions of the undead. As we also seen, the undead seemed to start to gather around in large herds and that is troubling on its own.”

Tsuna nodded his head as he continued to listen.

Tapping the paper, Kusakabe frown before he continued, “And even though trying to figure out what the undead are attracted, we don’t have time. However, Hibari and I have figured out how someone can turn into an undead. People don’t have to be dead to become one of them, but apparently, it can be contracted by either being bitten or scratched by the undead. So we do have some advantage, avoid being bitten or scratched. We don’t know yet how long it takes once you are bitten or scratched to turn into one of them, so we will have to keep a look out.”

“Right, meaning long distance and long range weapons are preferred,” Tsuna commented, running a hand through his locks and sighing in frustration.

“Correct, but we’ll see. Now, we should get going, we are wasting daylight just sitting here and chatting here.”

**October 14; 011:50 AM**

As they walked through the path that headed towards Namimori’s police station, Tsuna kept an eye to the undead as they walked carefully to not attract their attention. As he noticed, most of the undead were stumbling around the streets and bumping into things. Then there were a few others who kept on walking, even if they kept hitting a wall or an object, they continued moving forward.

That gave Tsuna some reassurance that the undead couldn’t smell them or see them and he wasn’t willing to test his theory on them following the sound.

As they quietly moved around them and not necessarily killed any of them. The sun was getting higher as they made track towards the station. The smell of blood, burnt flesh and decay burned his nose, he decided to invest in a scarf to block the smell.

As they reached the police station, Kusakabe made a hand sign. Tsuna nodded his head when the older teen sign for him to stay outside and keep an eye while he went to look inside and see if there were any undead linger about in the front.

As he stood outside, he looked around, his hand tightens tightly around the pipe he had picked up from the ground. His hands felt sweaty as they held onto tightly to the warm steel and kept an eye. The front of the police station, police cars were all left open, windshield shattered or filled with blood. The lights went on and off, the noise seemed to have died out, but Tsuna wasn’t risking on getting close the car and accidentally cause for the alarm to sound off, even though he wanted to looking inside of the patrol car. There would probably have something useful for them to use, but he wasn’t sure and he really didn’t want to move away from his spot just to investigate.

“Sawada,” Jumping slightly, he turned around to see Kusakabe motioning for him to following him inside the building. Hurrying behind the teen, he stepped around shattered glass and dead body parts as he followed Kusakabe further into the station.

The eerier silence disturbed Tsuna and something inside him kept whispering to leave.

“It’s too silent,” He whispered to Kusakabe as he walked behind the teen who was leading them to who knows where.

Kusakabe nodded his head, “Just don’t make too much noise, there should be some weapons we can use and maybe we can find those walkie-talkies that you mention,”

Tsuna just tighten the pipe and followed around. The flickering lights in the station just made him even more paranoid. A low moan and thumping brought their attention, heading towards the source of the noise, they come face an undead running himself against the bars that held him in a cell. Two cells were trails of blood, a hand print being dragged out of the cell and fat splat of blood in the middle of the room. A hand hanging from where it was handcuffed, dripping blood into a small puddle.

“Do we kill it or let it be?” Tsuna whispered, watching the undead just continued running into the bars.

“Let’s just let him be, we need to hurry, I don’t want to be here just in case any surprises do appear,” Kusakabe stated, holding his own steel pole tighter and ready just in case they needed to fight.

“I’ll look this way and you can look that way for what we need,” Tsuna muttered, shifting to his left as he motions for the elder to search the right.

It took them almost an hour to look thoroughly, Kusakabe was the one to find weapons.

“Well, there a few guns, but not a lot of ammo, so we will only have to use them when the situation is dire,” the teen stated, placing the weapons on the table as he wrote down what types of guns they were and how much ammo boxes for each weapon.

Tsuna could only stare at the gun sitting innocently on the table. He knew weapon are needed now, to protect oneself from the undead, however, seeing one and actually having to eventually use it in the future. It made Tsuna feel reality hit him harder than before.

He acknowledges the world is now chaos and doomed.

He acknowledges that he has to fight in order to protect those he loves and cares for. To be safe.

He acknowledges that life won’t simply be the same. Food well is sacred, electricity will eventually end unless they figure out a way to keep it running, water well also is sacred.

However, he hasn’t really acknowledged before that the people, the undead, had to be killed and the little innocent weapon that sat on the table was one of the methods in killing them, that and the still pole that was leaning against the table and the pipe that was snuggled in his hands.

“How many people know how to use them/?” Tsuna finally asked, tearing his eyes away from the guns and looked around the room to see if there was anything useful.

“I am not quite sure, but we will eventually figure it out,” Kusakabe answered. Tsuna hummed and poked around the shelves, finding useless stuff.

“Well, I think that is all we will be able to find, let’ pack and get out of here,” Tsuna stated, the screaming had come back, however it was louder and stronger. His eyes kept eyeing the door that was closed off. Taking a deep breath, he told himself to keep an eye and not get anywhere near it and make sure the teen with him didn’t go opening it by accident because whatever was behind those door, it wasn’t going to end pretty by how much his instinct kept screaming to stay away, to leave.

“Yeah, let’s pack these in the bag and let’s get out of here,”

With one more check-up around the room, Tsuna helped pack the ammo and allowed Kusakabe pack the guns. In the few minutes of silence with only the flickering lights out in the hallway, Tsuna stood up straight as he threw a glance at the door one more time as he put the last packet of ammo in the bag, “We need to leave,” He whispered putting the bag on his back and grabbed the pipe as he began walking around the table, “ _Now.”_

Kusakabe, bless him, understood the urgency in Tsuna’s voice and put the bag on his shoulders, placed a gun holster with a gun on his belt and grabbed the pole and began evacuating the room, Tsuna followed behind him still, face the door when a loud thump broke the silence. Tsuna jumped and quickly left the room and closed the door just in time when another loud thump was heard and the door came crashing down the floor and loud moans came stumbling out.

“Run,” Tsuna hissed as he picked up his pace and ran alongside Kusakabe.

In another life, Tsuna wouldn’t hiss anything at anybody, wouldn’t tell them what to do. He would be too shy, to sacred to even talk with a stern voice and telling somebody what to do.

However, Tsuna couldn’t afford to be shy in this life, couldn’t afford to not follow his instincts that whispered in his mind, tell him what to do, and not tell those around him what was needed to do in order to survive.

Kusakabe may be older, may have experience in these types of situations, but he didn’t have an instinct that leads him to a safe path.

And as much as Tsuna wouldn’t like the events that would lead up to him becoming a leader for the people in the near future, he had people to protect, to return to and he couldn’t die and let those he around died as well.

The warmth began spreading all over his body, but it wasn’t enough for him to call out his flames, his instincts became much clearer and the world became brighter.

“Follow me,” Tsuna yelled when a crash was heard from where they had come from. Kusakabe cursed under his breath but continued to follow the brunet whose eyes had become lite with an orange tint. Narrowed in concentration, his body became even relaxed. The elder teen was seeing Tsuna shed off the hesitant and scared personality and took control of the situation before he could even think out a plan as they ran towards safety.

Tsuna came to a stop before he glanced around and pulled the teen towards another hall way and into a room. “There, we need to leave through the window,” Tsuna pointed towards the window that was high up in the men’s locker room, locking the door behind him and pushed the benches in front of the door. Kusakabe headed towards the window and began pushing a bench to reach the window.

The quick escape through the small window was slow, but they managed it even when Tsuna’s favorite hood got to sacrifice in order for them to leave without getting injured.

“Come on let’s go,” Tsuna stated, grabbing the bag that Kusakabe handed him back and ran down the narrowed hall when his instincts screamed, “DUCK!” Tsuna he shouted as he threw himself down onto the floor and Kusakabe rolled forwards. Tsuna stood up quickly and blocked the incoming blow. Kusakabe grabbed the gun from the holster and pointed towards the unknown person from the kneeling potion he was, breathing heavily.

It was silent as Tsuna stared at wide dark brown eyes. “TEENAGERS?!” The man screams in question, not moving from his positon.

“Yes, we are living breathing, not infected teenagers who are trying to get back to safety,” Tsuna said with a mocking tone in his voice, eyes narrowed, however, the stranger in front of him didn’t scream stranger.

The man clicked his tongue and allowed the sword to fall to his side and looked at the teenagers that stood in front of him, their eyes following their movement. Kusakabe slowly stood up, gun in his hand still pointing at the dark hair man. “Well, when I went out to look around, I wasn’t expecting anybody to still be alive.” The man stated.

Tsuna nodded his head in understanding, he was also unsure if they would be returning to the school without any survivors, but seeing the man in front of him, it gave him a flicker of hope there were people out there that are able to survive in this world.

A loud crash was heard, causing all three males to tense up once again and stare where the noise was coming, “We should get moving,” The man muttered, motioning for the teens to follow him.

Tsuna and Kusakabe shared a look, but decided to follow when Tsuna nodded his head at the questioning look the elder teen sent him. They would be okay with the man in front of them. He wouldn’t do anything that would harm him.

As they followed the man, the moved quick and quiet. As they passed trashed stores and cars piled up, the path started to look familiar as they began heading towards the dojo that stood tall. The building was two floor stories big and was spacious enough.

Tsuna looked at the man, he observed him. The familiarity the man held reminded him of somebody, but he couldn’t put a finger to who just yet.

 “Can you guys climb? The door is barricaded and I didn’t want to move anything just in case any of those things were nearby,” The man asked as he began steading himself upwards from the trash can and lifting himself up from a brink and climbed upwards towards the windowsill.

Tsuna winced as he watched the man effortlessly lift himself inside, Kusakabe right behind him in a smooth motion as he climbed upwards the building.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna, lifted himself upwards from the trash can and waited for Kusakabe to enter the window and poke his head outside. Standing on his toes, he handed the teen his pipe and began climbing the wall at an agonizingly slow pace.

Huffing, he pushed himself into the window and fell onto the floor, trying to catch his breath and try to get the feeling back in his arms, “I-I really need to do something about my stamina and strength,” Tsuna muttered to himself. Kusakabe chuckled as he stood beside his laying body, letting him trying to catch himself before he pushed himself to sitting position.

The man was standing there, an eyebrow raised in his direction. Tsuna blushed heavily, embarrassed about his own weakness, but he couldn’t do anything yet, but keep pushing forward, even if his muscles screamed to stop, his lungs burn for air and his body trembled in exhaustion.

“Well, welcome to my place, there are few other people with me that I managed to rescue when the world became shit,” The man stated.

Tsuna was surprised, but nodded his head, “Thank you, sir, for letting us in,”

The man waved his hand, his face scrunched up in some sort of distaste, “Don’t call me sir, I am used to being called sensei, but you aren’t my gaki’s who I teach. My name is Mochida Sosuke, nice to see you guys not be infected,” The man joked.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi, but please call me Tsuna,” Tsuna muttered, slowly standing up. As he stared at the man, the familiarity finally clicked and he could see Mochida Kensuke’s face structures and almost look—alike appearance the man before him.

“Kusakabe Tetsuya.”

  **October 14; 01:50 PM**

After their greeting and Tsuna gathering himself up once more, they followed him down the stairs and towards the dojo room. “As you can see, this place is my home, but it is also a dojo for kendo training,” Sosuke stated, showing them around. They could finally hear people talking about and moving around the building.

“Ah, here we are,” the man stated, sliding open the door and the two teens were greeted to a sight of young children mostly in the room, three adults and a handful of teenagers.

Kusakabe made a noise in the back of his throat as his eyes settled upon a young child that was chatting animatedly with another child.

Tsuna figured that the teen must have known him from somewhere, whoever that child is, must have been someone that Kusakabe had to deal with on a daily basis. As Tsuna observed the room, the two of the three adults were women who were chatted amongst themselves, their clothing indicated they were mothers to one of the children in the building. The man that was near the child that Kusakabe recognized screamed danger. White dress-up shirt, black slacks and carrying guns in the shoulder holster and that made him weary. He wasn’t sure if that man was a cop or some yakuza member, but he was more worry about how Sosuke and the two other adults weren’t weary of that man carrying weapons on his person.

About six children were gathered in the dojo, their ages varying from six to eight-year-olds. At three teenagers that he was sure didn’t attend their school.

“It’s a good amount of people here,” he heard the elder teen say, as well observing the crowd in the room.

“Well, few of the gaki’s were training when shit hit the fan, the teenagers were nearby to come running in and telling us about what was going outside,” Sosuke explained, rubbing his face.

Kusakabe hummed.

Tsuna shifted were he stood, unsure how they would proceed. He knew that they would have to explain about the school being secured, free of the undead, and try to convince them to take a step outside into the city just so they can get everybody safe.

That was the challenge in their situation.

“So, mind telling me why a couple of brats like yourselves doing around the police station? Or what made you guys think it would okay to be strolling around the city?”

“Scavenging,” Kusakabe answered, eyeing the man. “We were also looking for any other survivors to bring were we are holding up.”

Sosuke raised an eyebrow, “There’s more of you guys alive?” He asked but shook his head, “I shouldn’t even ask that of course, that demon perfect would do what he does best, taking care of what is his, just like any other Hibari would do.” The man stated, motioning to the three adults to come closer. “Well, now that you know there are survivors, what is that you want to do?”

Kusakabe frowned, “Well, it would be reasonable that you guys came back with us to the school,” he answered.

“And why would we want to step out there?” One of the mothers asked, her hands crossed over her chest, a frown decorated her face. Her companion stood next to her and nodded her head, her short brown locks moved with her movements, her hands twisted the edge of her shirt. The man with the weapons didn’t say anything but stood not too far from the women.

“Well, to get to a much more secure location,” Kusakabe stated, the teen frowning at the lady. “Have more people to be able to protect you and Mochida-san and Royama-san here wouldn’t be the only ones doing the protecting.”

“B-but, isn’t the dojo already secured?” The short haired lady asked.

Kusakabe opens his mouth to answer back, but he could only nod his head. The dojo _is_ secured, but keeping this many people in here, was it safe?

“Then why should we leave?” The woman almost shouted, but she lowered her voice down when the children started glancing their way. “We are perfectly fine right here,”

Kusakabe sighed and looked towards Sosuke, the man just shrugged his shoulders, not really putting any input in the discussion. He then glanced at the other man, Royama, was staring at them with his sharp blue eyes, but didn’t put in of his thoughts either. The older teen looked annoyed by not having any clue how to convince the scared women to give the idea of stepping outside and relocate themselves to a much better secured living area, that could provide more protecting and much more living space than the two-story building they are currently residing. 

“B-but how would you guys go about getting food? Water? H-how will you guys survive throughout the winter?” Tsuna asked out of the blue, hoping he could help the teen in trying to convince them. “Mochida-san won’t be able to go out all the time to get food supplies, Royama-san here wouldn’t be able to protect all of you guys in case something happens and Mochida-san isn’t here, and you must also think about the possibilities the electricity going out. How will you survive the winter?”

That seem to make the two woman hesitate to answer, their eyes flickered towards Sosuke, who had a very thoughtful expression. Royama had nodded his head, clearly understanding the point they were trying to get them to see.

Kusakabe nodded his head, “Sawada is right, the school has more people to be able to do a rotation-duty for guarding. Kyouya-san has what’s left of the Disciplinary Committee, clearing out any undead stragglers in the school and cleaning the school completely off rotting corpse,”

“And with people working together to keep the school safe, trying to figure out how to survive together. Wouldn’t it be best to have more adults to help and take care of the younger ones? I know my mom would love to keep an eye on the children,” Tsuna added on, “As well, the school is spacious enough, we can grow our own crops, it’ll help with food supplies,”

“The school already has its own garden; it can be expanded and we can add more vegetables and fruits to grow. We also still have our school nurse, Akio-sensei was a doctor that worked in the hospital before she decided to cut her hours down and work at the school,” Kusakabe then stated.

Tsuna could start seeing that Royama had reached a decision, the two mothers seemed weary, however, they also seemed to have accepted that relocating to the school grounds was probably for the best. Even if the dojo gave them some sense of protection, the facts that they told them, seemed to sunk that they wouldn’t be able to survive for too long staying locked up in the building without figure out how to secure food for the children and themselves and the only people that knew how to fight were the only two men, but if Sosuke was out and about the streets trying to look for food, that left Royama. And he was just one man, he wouldn’t be able to protect everybody if the security of the building failed.

“Honda-san, Matsuoka-san, these teenagers do make some fine points,” Sosuke started, as he glanced around the room before his eyes fell on the two women. “And I feel that it would be safe to relocate to the school. If they say that Hibari is already working on clearing the school grounds and securing it, there probably won’t be any other place as secured than with the Hibari brat.”

With a pained expression, the long-haired woman finally nodded her head, “I do believe you are right, Mochida-san,” She began, letting out a sigh as she eyed them before looking defeated, “Hibari-san would most defiantly create a secure place for any survivors.”

Kusakabe nodded his head, “When Hibari announced that Namimori is his to protect, he meant it and wouldn’t back down, be it criminals or undead,” Kusakabe stated with full belief of what Hibari would willingly do for his city.

And Tsuna could see Hibari following through with that statement.

**October 14; 03:33 PM**

After having the adults agree that it would be for everybody to move to the school, the children began complaining they were hungry.

Matsuoka Ritsu, the short haired woman, had smiled at them and quickly told them she would start working on some snacks, Honda Michiko, who introduced herself and Matsuoka, followed behind her, picking up a six-year-old girl and placed her on her hip as they went to Sosuke’s kitchen. Royama was soon distracted by the seven-year-old child that was talking earlier with big gestures, complain about wanting to see his momma and the man was trying to explain to him without making the child scared of not being able to go look for her, but she was protected by Momo-chan.

Tsuna and Kusakabe sat down near the entrance, eating the small bars they managed to get out of a vending machine. In small words, Tsuna tried putting in money with the machine spitting it out every tried until the elder teen started kicking it until the vending machine spitted out ten bars of chocolate, varies chips and a couple of other snacks Tsuna had never tried before.

“So, we’ll just allow everyone to eat before we tell them about moving from this place?” Tsuna asked, taking a bite from a healthy bar and scrunching up his face at the awful taste it left in his mouth, but he continued eating it. He really hadn’t eaten much since the whole thing had started.

“That’s right, we can also see if Mochida-san has anything suitable and easy to take with us,” Kusakabe stated, taking another bite from his own bar, not even making face at the taste.

Tsuna hummed, watching the room as the children yelled happily when Matsuoka came back from the kitchen, followed by Honda with a big tray of snacks and drinks.

The two mothers happily chatted with the children as they handed out the food to them. Sosuke passed out a plate to the teenagers who eagerly grabbed the plate, thanking the man and went back to the corner where they were the past few hours.

It made Tsuna antsy whenever his gaze stared at them. Especially when his eyes landed on the foreign looking blonde girl. How her face looked so guilty and miserable as she sat in the middle of a girl and a boy around her age.

**October 14; 04:03 PM**

“So, these two young men, will be helping us move to a much better safe spot than here,” Sosuke explained, the children all sat around the man, nodding their heads with much seriousness they could muster. It made Tsuna smiled at their expression as they took everything Sosuke told them.

“How can you be so sure that the school will be as secure as they say it will?” A bleached hair boy asked, the girl with a highlight on her head nodded, holding onto the blonde girl.

“Well, if anyone could clear and protect something is a Hibari can do it without help. They are bloody monsters when something of theirs has been breached,” Royama said out of the blue, holding onto the seven-year-old boy on his lap. It wasn’t many words, but everybody in the room understood that the Hibari Clan, even if most forgot about them seeing as many didn’t leave in Namimori full time, they are the most well known in the underworld and police force to be excellent fighters and become even more dangerous when something of theirs have been trifled with.

The teenagers paled but nodded their head when Hibari’s name was mention.

“So, we will be packing as much as we can and leave soon,” Sosuke concluded.

“We would like to leave while there still sun light out, walking in the dark is much more dangerous with only the street lights on and even then, we still don’t know how these undead get attracted towards us. How the function and what their limit is,” Kusakabe added in the conversation, standing next to Sosuke. Tsuna sat on the floor, crisscross, watching them speak as he edges of his shirt, mourning for his hoodie.

“So let’s get to it!” Sosuke stated, the children yelled and got up from their spots and began chattering around as they shuffled out of the dojo and began their mission.

  **October 14; 04:53 PM**

“Okay, Hiro-kun, strap on your shoes properly,”

“Don’t carry too much Ikoma-chan,”

“Kotoku-kun, I don’t think this will be useful… at all so leave it,”

“Ishida-kun…just… just no,”

“Watanabe-kun, Okamoto-kun, and Genji-kun, stop fighting about who gets what! We are packing lightly so stop trying to carry too much before you hurt yourselves!”

**October 14; 05:00 PM**

“Well, I think we are good now,” Sosuke stated, scratching his head as he looked at the children each carrying a back that wasn’t heavy to weigh them down in case they needed to run. Their shoes were put on properly, checking twice to see if they were fastened tightly enough.

Tsuna stood awkwardly a few feet away from the man, Kusakabe had wondered to Royama and both of them have been in a heavy conversation since then. With how Royama’s face blank and Kusakabe frown deepening, Tsuna knew it wasn’t good news.

“I wouldn’t worry about Royama,” Matsuoka said quietly, moving to stand next to him. Her hand clasp in front of her as she continued to smile towards the children.

Tsuna let out a small squeak and blushed brightly when Matsuoka just giggled at him, “U-uh why shouldn’t I worry about him?” He asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from the woman standing next to him.

“You have been eyeing him ever since you stepped into the room,” She stated, “I know he looks scary, especially when he does carry a gun, but Royama has been here since little Michi-chan has started kendo, he is after all his bodyguard,” Matsuoka explain. Tsuna nodded his head, looking towards the man before looking at the blue-eye child as he was complaining to Sosuke about him not carrying anything along with the rest of the children.

“But why would Tarumi-kun need a bodyguard?” Tsuna mused out loud, feeling that he wasn’t going to like the answer. Matsuoka blinked at him before she realized that Tsuna didn’t know.

“Oh my,” She says in surprised, “Well, Michi-kun is the heir to the Terumi Yakuza Clan, of course, he is going to be guard everywhere he goes,”

Tsuna stared at her, blinking his brown eyes before he laughed a bit hysterical, “Y-Yakuza heir?” He squeaked out.

Matsuoka nodded her head.

“HIEEEE!” Tsuna let out a small shrill, backing into the wall and looking back to the child and towards Royama who now had was looking at him along with Kusakabe. “And-and you don’t mind that he is the Yakuza?” He asked quietly, trying to act normal again, but he couldn’t stop shaking.

“Well, at first we were all scared, but Royama never did anything, but bring Michi-kun to his classes and take him back home. We didn’t speak about it because it is better to pretend he was just a rich heir than a criminal heir,” Matsuoka explained.

Tsuna nodded his head slowly and understood what she meant.

“Plus, Michi-kun isn’t the only yakuza heir learning kendo here! There is three more as well, try and guess who they are!” She chirped at him, smiling at him with a bright smile.

“A-ah,” Tsuna stuttered, looking around and observed the children. He should have known something like this would happen, but to actually be living through it, it felt strange. _‘But,’_ he thought as he frowned and stared at the three boys who were fighting earlier, _‘It really shouldn’t be strange when the world really has ended and the undead are walking amongst and trying to eat us alive.’_

The light hair blue boy adorned with a frown on his face, red hair boy who was blowing a raspberry at him and blonde was trying to calm them down.

“Ah, I see you spotted them already,” Matsuoka said softly, “You have a good intuition. Those three, Watanabe Masahiro, Okamoto Takeo, and Genji Hisoka, they all come from small clans,” She explains.

Tsuna blinked at the information and watched the boys, they all seemed familiar with each other and were good friends at most, “So their clans are in good terms with each other then?” He asked.

Matsuoka nodded her head, “Indeed, they have been together for at least forty-five years. Their grandparents formed a pact amongst themselves and have been followed by their children and now grandchildren,”

“Oh,” Tsuna said softly before he turned to look at her with a questioning look, “How come you know all this?” He asked.

“Oh, my father was a detective and he was hired to try and put all the yakuza men in jail, however, his mission went wrong and he was betrayed. I know I should feel bitter that there are men out their doing injustice, but I can’t fault their children. They are after all innocent kids that are born into those types of family,” She said softly.

Tsuna smiled softly at her and Matsuoka was taken aback, “It takes a lot of guts for you to still continue coming here and trusting Mochida-san with your child even though you know yakuza family members attend these classes as well,” He said softly, take his gaze away from her and towards the children, “And you are right, it’s not the children’s fault they are born into that type of family, but that’s how life is, I suppose. But, I don’t think that matters anymore, what matters is staying alive and push forward for a miracle to happen.”

A soft tint of orange ornate the brown eyes and Matsuoka was a bit daze by what the teenage just said to her.

“Sensei! I can’t find Kiku-chan!”  A small child yelled out, he was standing in front of the door way. Tsuna blinked and realized something was wrong and his instincts were once more slowly ushering him.

Frowning he moved forward as Sosuke spoke up, “What do you mean you can’t find her? Are you sure she didn’t go to the restroom?” He asked.

Something was very wrong.

“Matsuoka-san, please start taking the children to the room where we plan on getting out through,” He said, the tint of orange was no longer soft, hardening into a cool orange as he took few steps forward. The soft and shy personality complete disappeared leaving the woman in a bit of shock, “Please Matsuoka-san,” Tsuna urged, turning to stare at her.

Kusakabe notice the shift of personality in Tsuna and quickly headed his towards him, “Sawada, what’s wrong?” He asked as he watched the woman that was speaking with the brunet quickly move towards the children and smile softly at them and started urging them to follow her. Sosuke left with the child that announced the missing child. Royama had quickly followed the short hair woman.

“Something is clearly wrong,” Tsuna stated quietly, looking around. “Grab your bag and your weapon,” He said, pulling his back bag on his shoulder and headed towards where he left his pipe on the empty table. As Royama stood in the hallway, Sosuke headed to the upstairs with an anxious child, Kusakabe headed towards his bag and a high-pitched scream broke the air.

Tsuna turned quickly and headed towards the kitchen, heavy footsteps following behind him. Sliding the door open, boxes that had blocked the kitchen door were moved aside, the door was wide open and a small girl was laying on the floor, an undead gnawing on her stomach as three other undead limped inside the kitchen, pulling onto Honda, while two of the teenager tried pulling her away from them.

“We have to go,” Tsuna whispered, Kusakabe turned his head to him, he opened his mouth to say something, but Tsuna shook his head, “WE have to go _NOW_ ,” Tsuna commanded, moving forward and pulled the two teenagers away from Honda, the woman was bitten and bleeding everywhere as she realized there was no saving her, but to kill her before she turned into one of them. Instead she stood tall as much as she could, “Please,” she pleaded, “Please don’t let me turn into one of them,” She whispered, her dark eyes stared right into Tsuna eyes and Tsuna remembered that man falling onto the floor, his screams for help echoed in his head as he was torn open. Tsuna nodded his head, “Okay,” He whispered, following the whispering from the back of his mind, “I promise you, you won’t turn into them Honda-san.” Raising the pipe over his head, Honda smiled at him painfully as she grabbed onto the undead that were trying to enter further into the house. “Take care of Yuichi-chan for me.”

With her last words she closed her eyes and Tsuna brought down the pipe as hard as he could onto her head, hearing a loud crack, blood splattering everywhere, the pipe jammed into her head.

The two teenagers were screaming in horror as they were held back by Sosuke who had followed them. With a loud yelled, Tsuna removed the pipe from the dead women’s head and turned his blazing orange eyes to the undead who stepped over the woman body and headed towards Tsuna, the brunet brought the pipe upwards, hitting the undead from the bottom of his chin and then bringing down once more and smashing it right on top of his head. He then twisted his body and swinging the pipe sideways and smashing the undead with the pipe and onto the wall. Kusakabe had moved forward and smashed the third undead and headed towards the one that continued to gnaw on the little girl’s guts.

Tsuna stood there, his orange eyes stared at Honda before he looked at Kusakabe and then at the door, he marched forward and stared at the street. His instincts screamed danger and he could tell why. As they sat safely in the dojo, undead had started to gather around the streets and slowly they had crowded and now moving forward to the dojo.

Clenching tightly onto the pipe, he back himself into the kitchen and closed the door, “We leave now before we get surrounded,” He stated, marching forward. Sosuke had a frown on his face but nodded as he pushed the two teenagers up the stairs, Kusakabe followed behind him. The kitchen door began rattling and Tsuna closed the hallway door and pushed a heavy table in front before following them.

“-We will leave by rood top, the roofs aren’t too far apart and right now we will not be stepping down on the roads, not with how many are crowded around right now,” He entered when Sosuke stated, looking out the window, the children were looking scared now as they watched the adults move around the room in a hurry. The two teenagers were looking pale and shocked.

Tsuna was splatter in blood.

“We need to hurry, the doors won’t hold for too long,” Tsuna stated. Sosuke nodded his head as he motions for Royama to help him as he pulls a long wood that was leaning on the building wall, “We can use these to connect with the roof and the children can cross it over.” He stated.

The man nodded his head and began helping, Tsuna lean on the door, putting his weight on it as he closed his eyes and listen carefully.

“Tsuna?” Kusakabe question, the brunet shook his head.

“Not yet, but we have to hurry… they are already inside,” He whispered.

Kusakabe understood and nodded his head.

“Done,” Sosuke said, Royama was already moving to cross over, “Matsuoka, please you go meanwhile Royama holds onto the plank, you can help the kids getting off from it,” Sosuke explained.

“Of course,” She said, her voice was stern, but her body was trembling.

“Don’t worry Matsuoka-san, you can do it,” Tsuna stated, opening his orange lit eyes, staring straight into frighten brown ones. The mother nodded her head and moved forward.

Tsuna looked around the room, but there wasn’t anything to push onto the door and he mentally cursed. The process was slow, one by one the children moved through the window, Sosuke and Kusakabe stood by the window as they helped the children slowly move across the plank that wasn’t too stable.

A loud crash frightens some children as they stared where Tsuna was standing. He smiled softly at them, “It’s alright, we are here, nothing is going to hurt you,” he told them, his eyes glowing brighter as he spoked those words.

“Fuck this shit, I ain't waiting to die,” The male teenager screamed, pulling the crying female with, he pushed one of the children and Sosuke away from the window, began walking the plank, but he slipped, the girl he had dragged did fall from the plank screaming as she hit the garbage can and then the pavement. “Shit!” The teen screamed as held onto the plank. “Shit!”

“You STUPID GAKI!” Sosuke screamed as he tried reaching out for the boy, but he was too far away. Kusakabe muttered something under his breath.

“What?” The elder man screamed and turned to look at the teenager beside him.

“The plank in going to give, look, it already cracking under his weight!” Kusakabe screamed. Sosuke noticed and cured, “Royama, the plank is going to crack!” He screamed.

Tsuna wasn’t sure what the man said or did, but the next he heard was a loud crack and the teenager screaming, he closed his eyes tightly and pressed his weight even further onto the door, holding onto the sides of it tightly.

Sosuke was cursing and Kusakabe was staring out the window with a grim expression. The four children still left in the room were crying now and Tsuna could hear the shuffling down the hallway coming closer.

They were running out of time, “Shit, what now?” the elder man said, rubbing his face.

“We don’t have time,” Tsuna stated, Sosuke looked at him and grabbed the sleek katana he had left their earlier when he had return with them.

“It looks like we are going to make a run for it,” Kusakabe stated.

The brunet nodded his head and yelled as the door was pushed forward, but his body was holding it off at the moment. Sosuke pushed the kids towards the window and Kusakabe stepped in front of them. “Tsuna, you are going to have to remove yourself from there,” Sosuke stated, his voice was deathly calm as he unshielded his weapon.

Tsuna shook his head, “No, not right now, try taking the children down so we can leave,” Tsuna stated, struggling to keep the door close. Their load moans were too close for his liking.

“No, remove yourself from the door Tsunayoshi!” Sosuke ordered. Tsuna bit down and shook his head.

“Sawada, the only person who can lead us to the school is you, now do what Mochida-san says!” Kusakabe yelled. Tsuna stared at him in surprised and then at Sosuke who nodded his head. Taking a deep breath, Tsuna lets go of the edges of the door and moved quickly, grabbing the pipe from in front of him and ran towards Kusakabe. The door slammed open and undead, followed by undead came falling the door. Sosuke stepped right in and started slashing at the undead.

“Now hurry and start bringing the children down!” He yelled.

Tsuna hurried and grabbed one child and started easing him down before he allowed him to drop with a soft thud into the trash can, “Stay there and don’t make a sound or move,” He ordered, the child nodded his head. Royama had his gun pointing downward and Tsuna nodded at the man and continued the process with the second one and the third one as fast as he could. Then he heard Sosuke scream loudly. Everything became slow for Tsuna as he watched he turned around, the fourth child in his arms and stared at Sosuke shove an undead from his shoulder and then slashing him, twisting around continued to slash away.

Blood dripping down his hand and onto the sword he held loosely.

As he hacked the last undead to the floor, they could hear more shuffling upwards the stairs and headed towards their way.

“Go,” Sosuke said, his breath was coming out heavily and he was leaning against the wall. “Leave now, I’ll take care of them as much as I can. I’ll bring their attention towards me and that way, you will have a much clear ground while you run with the children.”

“Y-You can’t do this!” Tsuna screamed. It was a crazy idea. His classmate would probably never forgive him, no, he won’t forgive him, he would most likely try to kill him for leaving his father to the undead.

“Listen gaki, I know how this goes, you know how this goes,” The man stated, his sharp eyes stared into Tsuna’s amber ones. “I won’t have much time, but you do. Get away with the kids, go to the school and take care of them. Teach them how to survive this dead world because as much as you hate it, your generation and the newer ones to come, are the ones that will probably survive this shitty world.”

Tsuna shook his head, “But WE need people like YOU to teach us!” Tsuna almost screamed. Holding onto the crying child in his arms. “I-I just can’t let you just die!”

“Listen Sawada!” The man barked, his gaze turning sharper and Tsuna swore he saw something pass through the man’s eyes, but he wasn’t sure, _but_ he saw that a blue flicker pass through the man’s eyes, “You can’t save everyone even when you want to. Protect those you can and **_live_ ** for those that died. That is all you can do in this world. Remember, Honda also asked for you to take care of Yuichi,”

Tsuna only swallowed the heavy lump in his throat but nodded his head. Something in him knew that the man had made his resolve. His will to make sure that he escaped with the children and return to the safe-zone was strong and he knew, deep down, he knew and his instincts accepted it, that this man’s resolve was unbreakable.

Even if it meant dying.

“Thank you and I promise you, **_I will protect everyone I save,”_** With a small bow to the man, he followed the lingering teenager out the window and left the injured man with to deal with the undead.

As Tsuna and Kusakabe landed on the trash can, standing next to the three children, he looked up wards and saw Royama staring at them, waiting for something.

 “Royama-san, please began coming down the building from the other side, we will meet you there!” Tsuna screamed. The man nodded his head and began leading the way for the others.

Tsuna turned towards Kusakabe and then the children. His whole body was burning and he wanted to release the flames, however, he needed to be in control. He needed to keep these children safe, needed to take them to the school. He needed to be calm and collected. He couldn’t stare at the two teenagers who had stopped moving and making sounds. He tried to ignore the feeling of agony filling up his chest and the need to cry. He couldn’t allow himself to breakdown. The children needed him

He _needed_ to protect the children. With his resolve focused, he looked at Kusakabe straight in the eyes, his eyes glowing in orange flames that the elder teen couldn’t see them, but he felt them burning with a strong resolve.

“Let’s go.”

_-_

They quickly met up with the other children and the two survive adults and ran towards the school, avoiding as much as possible the undead.

It was hard. Trying to keep the children from crying too much, from getting to scared as they looked at their city for the first time and see how broken and bloodied it had become.

**October 14; 07:56 PM**

The sky was starting to loose light and the street light started to flicker on. The children were exhausted and hungry. They were beyond frighten as the sky became darker by the minute.

“We are almost there,” Tsuna said softly to them as they all sat down and took a small break, taking small sips of water from their bottles they had all packed.

They would look at him and nodded their heads and tried to burying themselves onto him. He was confused, but he allowed them to cling onto him.

**October 14; 09:16 PM**

The sky was dark when they reached the school gates, Hibari was standing right on the other side. His arms crossed before he motions for two perfect to open the heavy gates.

The children run in first, Matsuoka after them with Royama, Kusakabe and Tsuna.

The orange tint disappeared from Tsuna eyes, his body became heavy, staggering forwards, however, Kusakabe held onto his shoulder before he felled forward.

Hibari stepped forwards and looked at everyone, eyeing them from head to toe and nodded his head, “Good job you two,” He said to Tsuna and Kusakabe.

Tsuna nodded his head before he looked around the school. It was much more pleasant to look at. No corps were around and glass was gone from the floor.

“TSUNA!” The familiar voice brought his attention away from the school building and towards his running mother. Walking forward and away from Hibari and Kusakabe, he was engulfed in a warm hug and he allowed himself to relaxed in her arms.

“I am back, mom,” He whispered, hugging her back and ignoring whatever Hibari was talking with Royama and Matsuoka.

“Welcome back, Sawada-kun,” another voice said.

Peering over his mother’s shoulder, he saw Kyoko followed by Hana. Detaching himself he smiled at Kyoko. “It’s good to be back,” he whispered, but he knew it was going to last long. Hana nodded towards him and he returned the greeting.

**October 15; 10:10 AM**

He knew the confrontation with Mochida was going to happen. He knew that he should be waiting for the teen to show up and kill him. He knew that he should have looked for the teen himself and apologized for the death of his father, but he still felt like a coward.

He couldn’t face the teen to tell him the news.

As he sat in the in the gym where everyone was all sitting at and having breakfast, Mochida Kensuke marched towards him. His face twisted in anger and sadness. Tsuna only stood up and walked away from Hana and Kyoko who were chatting away.

He was glad his mom got along with Matsuoka and took taking caring of the children with an easy ease.

Licking his lips, he readied himself.

A hard punch on the face had sent him to the floor, the gym got quiet.

Mochida stood there, breathing heavily. “IT’S YOUR DAMN FAULT!” He screamed, “WHY IN THE WOLRD DID HIBARI SEND YOU OUT THERE! WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU THINK YOU COULD DO SUCH TASK?!” He screamed, Tsuna sat on the floor as he wiped his face. His jaw ached and he knew his lip was bleeding.

“STAND UP AND ANSWER ME!” he continued to scream. He didn’t care if the gym was looking at him or that Hibari was inching forward.

Tsuna stood, but he didn’t look at him in the, not yet.

It wasn’t the moment.

“YOU ARE JUST A DAME! WHY DID YOU LEAVE MY FATHER THERE! WITH THOSE THINGS!? DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD SAVE PEOPLE? BRING THEM HERE? IT WAS PURE LUCK YOU MANAGED TO BRING KYOKO AND YOUR MOTHER HERE!” He screamed before he stepped backwards and Tsuna knew he was glaring at him with so much hate.

“It’s your fault my father is out there, probably dead,” he stated. “And when I find him and he’s one of those things, I’ll kill you myself.”

He then held onto Tsuna shirt and dragged him close to his face.

Tsuna looked at him his brown eyes bloodshot red, filled with unshed tears which had caught Mochida off guard. “Hate me, call me names, BUT!” Tsuna began, “Don’t step out those gates to look for your father.” He said.

That made the teenager angrier. Before he could scream off more, the orange tint began to show on Tsuna eyes once more.

“I won’t let you go out there. Your father died to protect not only me, but Kusakabe, the children. Yuchi, Miho, Toshio, Shoji and the rest. He died with his honor and for what he wanted to protect, but, if you go out there, not only will you be throwing your father’s resolve away. You are going against what your father wanted to do in the first place. Protect those that he could with his dying will,”

“So hate me, be angry at me because I know I am, however, I will not let you die when Mochida Sosuke died protecting until his very last breath.”

Mochida didn’t say anything. His shoulder was shaking, his bangs hiding his face, but the tears were falling down his face just like Tsuna was crying as well.

Because Tsuna wasn’t strong enough to save everyone and it cost lives that could have been here instead of being dead.

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp, there it is, please leave your thought and let me know what you think! And if you have any question, I would most be happy answer them and if there are confusion, I can try clearing it up. Thanks for reading, see you in the next update.


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